Electrotherapeutic device



Jan. 6, 1953 J. P. 0| PERNA 2,624,342

ELECTROTHERAPEUTIC DEVICE Filed Jan. l8, 1950 JOSEPH P. D| PERNA nventor attorney Patented Jan. 6, 1953 UNITED s'm'rss 3 Claims. (c1. 12s- 422) This invention relates to electro-therapeutic.

apparatus, and has reference to a device for applying electrical impulses to afilicted parts of the body. 7 I Y The invention has been found to be particularly useful in the treatment of arthritis and related ailments, and it is believed that the spurs of calcareous deposits are dissipated when subjected to the varying frequencies produced by the present apparatus. The calcareous spurs are of various sizes, and eachspur responds to and is disbursed by a particular frequency- Thus, bycontinuously applying frequencies from a widely varying range to the aillicted part, all of the spurs of the calcareous deposits will be reduced. s

An object of theinvention is to provide an apparatus whereby voltages varying in frequency from 3 pulses per second to approximately 15,000- pulses per second may-be continuously applied to the patient throughout the therapeutic treat-- ment;

. A particular object of the invention is to utilizev the frequencies of recorded and broadcast music for obtaining a range of frequencies which have been found to be particularly desirable in the type of treatment referred to.

A further objectof the invention is to provide, in an electro-therapeutic apparatus, means whereby radio frequencies are changed into audio. frequencies so as to avoid the generation of heat in-the part of the patients body where the current is applied.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 isa perspective view of my new electro-therapeutic apparatus and showing the wiring diagram schematically applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a schematic wiring diagram of the apparatus illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a schematic wiring diagram of a phone-oscillator which may be adapted for use in connection with the circuit illustrated in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an elevation of the screen of an oscilloscope, and showing the frequency characteristics of the therapeutic voltage applied to the patient. v

The form o-f the invention shown includes a table Ill supported on legs H and having a U- shaped plate 12 beneath" the corners of said legs as a static ground. On a shelf 13 beneath the upper surface of the table In there is a radio frequency amplifier l4 and an oscilloscope unit 1 vided with terminals 20 and 2|.

l5. Applicator electrodes l6 and i! of suitable material, such as copper, steel, etc., are con-' nected with the outer ends of flexible insulated leads [8 and I9, the inner ends of which are pro- The first re ferred to electrode may be connected at locations on the table ID with the ground 22 by means of terminal jacks 23. Similarly, the other electrode IT is connected with an output lead 24 also having terminal jacks 25 which are respectively located near the first referred to'jacks 23. As shown in Figure 1, the ground 22 is con-' nected withthe U-shaped plate [2, and is additionally connected with a vertical plate 26 attached to one end of the table, and against which the patient mayplace his bare feet whenhis legs and feet are to be treated. Referring now to Figure 2, the radio frequency amplifier is generally designated by'the numeral 21, and is. connected with a demodulatorand; audio frequency amplifier schematically illus-- trated and hereinafter referred to in detail. An intermediate frequency transformer 28 is con; nectedv with the radio frequency amplifier 2]. and includes primary and secondary tuning condensers 29 and 30. One end of the secondary of the intermediate frequency transformer 28 is connected with one of the diode plates 3| of a vacuum tube. 32. The other end of the secondary of .the transformer 28 is connected witha condenser 33 which in turn is connected with the chassis ground. The secondary of the trans former 28 is also connected with a resistor .34: and a grounded potentiometer 35. The resistor 34 is connected with the radio frequency,ampli+ fier2l to provide automatic volume controlf'fA bypass condenser 361s connected .with the re--' sistor 34 so as to filter the radio frequency com-1 ponent from the automatic volume control volt-. age. A control 31 in the form of a potentiometer 38 is connected with the sliding contact of the first potentiometer 35. A condenser 39 connects the sliding contact of the control: 31 with the'control grid 40 of the vacuum tube 32, and grid resistor 4| connects the control grid 40 ofsaid 'tubewith the ground. One terminal. of the potentiometer 38 is grounded. The plate 42 of the tube 32 is connected with a blocking condenser 43 which is connected to the grid 44 of a vacuum tube 45, whereas a resistor 46 con nects the plate 42 with the high voltage B sup-- ply from'the radio frequency amplifier 21. A

grid return resistor 41 connects the control grid 44 to the ground. The plate 48 of the vacuum tube 45 is connected tothe primary of a stepup transformer 49, and the opposite side of the primary winding of said transformer is connected with the high voltage B-lsupply from the radio frequency amplifier 21. Similarly, the screen grid 50 of the vacuum tube 4 5 is connected with the high voltage B+ terminal from the radio frequency amplifier 21. The cathode 5| of the vacuum tube 45 is connected to the ground after passing through resistor 52 and is bypassed to the ground by means of a bypass condenser 53.

The secondary taps of the stepup transformer 49 are connected to the terminals of a selector switch 54. The sliding contact of the selector switch 54 is connected to one of the electrodesplate 42-of the vacuum tube 32 and the plate 48 of; thevacuinn-tube fi through a condenser 64.

Thesliding contact of" the potentiometer 69 is connected to- Itheground through another condenser 62 providing a meansfor controlling thefrequencyresponse of the audio amplifier.

A volt meter 63 is connected across the primaryof the stepuptransformer 49 to provide a quantitative indication of the voltage produced at-thelectrodes l6 and IT. A neon lamp 65 connected across the voltmeter terminals provides areference levelindicator for indicating a' selectedvoltage below which the lamp 84- will not glow. The heaters-H of the vacuum tubes 32 and 45" are connected with the H terminals of'the-radio frequency amplifier 21.

Instead of employing the modulated radio frequency from a broadcast transmitter, a modulated radio frequency may be provided in accordance with the circuit illustrated in Figure 3; which, in effect, is a recording modulated radio frequency oscillator. The phonograph pickup 65 is'c'onnected to the volume contro-l-ifilthrough a jack 61, and the sliding contact of the voluin'e control 55' is connected with the second grid 68 of a vacuum tube 53. An oscil latbrtransformer has one winding connected between the cathode H of the vacuum tube 69 and the 3- supply lead 12,. whereas" the other winding of the oscillator transformer I0 is connected between the plate 13 of the vacuum tube 69 and the high voltage Bj-l-M. A condenser '15 is connected between the B+ supply line 14 and the plate 73 of the vacuum tube. A resistor 18 is connected between second grid 58 and the 13+ supply' line 141 A grid return resistor 11 and a bypass condenser 78 are connected between the first grid-19 and'the B' supply line 12. A D. C. power supply consisting of a plug 89, a rectifier tube 81, filter condensers 82, and filter resistors 83 are connected with the B+ supply line 14 and the-B+ supply line 12, are connected with each other in the usual'manne'r. A dropping resistor 84 is connected inseries with the tube heaters (to supply the necessary heater voltage. A bypass condenser 85 is connected across the A. C. voltage source from the plug 80 and switch 86.

Another bypass condenser is connected between the B supply line and the chassis containing the power supply or radio frequency generator thus described. An antenna 88 is connected to the plate 13 of the tube 69 after passing through a coupling condenser 89.

In operation, the patient is placed on the table it, and if his legs or feet are to be treated, his bare feet may be placed against the vertical plate 26. The-circuit'illustrated:inLFigure 2'is then tuned to a transmitter broadcasting music having a wide frequency range. The amplified radio frequency is demodulated by the diode section of the first described vacuum tube 32, and the resulting pulses are amplified and passed into the describ'ed-yariable circuit, comprised of the potentiometer 60 and condenser 62. By regulat'in'g thecontrol 3'! and the balancing rheostats and 56, the desired output may be applied to the patient by means of the electrodes l6 and I! which are selectively. plugged in the terminal jacks 23 and 25 for passingthe current contain'ingmultiple frequencies throughithe' afflicted partof the' patienrtsbody. The vertical.

plate 26 may be employed in place of one ofthe electrodes, if desired; The functions of the oscilloscope 59; volt meter 63, and neon tube 54 are merely to indicate the characteristics'and volume of the'output. The phono-oscillator illustrated in Figure-3is, in effect, aminiature broadcasting;

transmitter which is received by the first described circuit; which then operates'in the man ner describe'd in the foregoing.

The described form of the invention may be madein' many ways within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In anelectro-therapeutic device, the combination" of a radio frequency'amplifier including an intermediate frequency transformen. a demodulator connected with the secondary winding of said transformer, an audio amplifier connected with the plate circuit of said demodulator,

a frequency control circuit connected with said.

plate circuit of said demodulator and with the plate circuit of said audio amplifier, an audio.

output transformer included in said plate circuit. of said audio amplifier, and applicator electrodes respectively connected with the ends of the secondary Winding of the lastsaid transformer.

2. In an electro-therapeutic deviceas defined in claim 1-, and wherein balancing rheostats are included between said applicator electrodes and the output transformer included in the plate circuit of said audio amplifier;

3. In an electro-therapeutic" device as defined in claim 1, a voltage indicator connected across the winding of said audio output transformer.

JOSEPH P. DI PER-NA.

REFERENCES CITED Thefollowing references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number I Name Date 2,182,223 D'Oblt Dec. 5,.1939

OTHER REFERENCES Radio Amateurs Handbook'for 1948, published by the American Radio Relay League, Hartford, Conn, pages 88, 103 and 125. 

